a. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printed film sheet comprising an originally transparent film modified to be semitransparent by applying a coating composition thereto, then said film being printed thereon. The printed film sheet of the present invention is used for display, and is chiefly attached to a transparent plate of glass, plastic, etc. When the printed film sheet is attached thereto, an image printed on said sheet looks graphic and vivid on both the printed side and the reverse side of said sheet.
b. Description of the Prior Art
The printed film sheet of the present invention is attached to a windowpane, etc. of a building so that the windowpane looks like a stained glass. Also, the printed film sheet of the present invention may be used as an interior material like a stained glass in natural or artificial light for example by attaching said sheet to a transparent partition, screen, etc. within a room.
In recent years, with the diversification of buildings, there have been various styles of windowpanes and room interiors. For example, in modern department stores and hotels, or places called intelligent buildings or event halls, there are interior designs having transparent screens through which each compartment can be seen from a distance, as well as glazed showrooms and show windows in which various exhibits and new products are displayed.
Various posters and advertising bills mainly made of paper are often stuck on both the obverse side and the reverse side of transparent glass constituting glazed showrooms and show windows. However, such printed matters mainly made of paper may become corrugated or rugged because of changes in ambient temperature. If such printed matters are on the outside of the glass exposed to wind and rain, they are often damaged and spoiled by wind and rain.
In some cases, printed transparent films or printed opaque films which resist temperature changes as well as wind and rain are used in the same manner as mentioned above. In said transparent films, a printed image is seen also on the reverse side. However, the printed image looks flat and darkish, the lights and shades thereof being obscure. Therefore, in some of said transparent films, a white ink is applied onto the printed surface so that the printed image looks graphic from the non-printed side. In this case, however, the image on the printed side looks dull because the image surface is covered with the white ink, and therefore the printed image does not look alike from both sides of the film.
In said printed opaque films, the films themselves are opaque. Therefore, it is not at all possible to recognize the image from the reverse side. Furthermore, since the transparent glass is shaded by such an opaque film, it is necessary to stick the same film on both the obverse side and the reverse side of the transparent glass. This is true of conventional printed matters printed on a coated film sheet comprising a synthetic paper (a kind of synthetic film) coated with pigments to improve printability. In such a coated film sheet, the printed image has a good contrast between a subject and its surrounding background because printing is made on the surface of the coating layer of pigments. However, said coated film sheet is no better than printed matters on paper because the sheet itself is opaque.
So far there has been no printed film sheet which makes it possible to recognize the image from both the printed side and the reverse side thereof surely and in a well-balanced manner and, at the same time, displays the image graphically and vividly like a stained glass in natural or artificial light.